Alternative Timeline Series: Story 3 Destinations of the Heart
by resauthor
Summary: A continuation of Passages in Truth. This short story takes place the morning after Chris and Rita's first night together.


**Author's Notes: **Alternative Timelines Series: Story #3 takes place the morning after the events in Story #2: Passages in Truth. Important reminder – canon has been tossed out the second-story window of Chris' loft. No plot and no story arc in this installment. 3,120 words, one loft, two people in love. Mild sexual content – how could there not be? It's the morning after. Use your imagination for the really good stuff.

A special thank you to D of the DA's office for being a true sounding board and an honest critic as I tried to turn what was once a little puff piece into a small, but solid bridge that could guide our journey into the final installment, Testament of Faith. Chris and Rita deserved more than they were given. It's up to us to fix it.

**ALTERNATIVE TIMELINES**

_**Story #3: DESTINATIONS OF THE HEART**_

_A SHORT STORY_

by: resauthor

"Good morning, beautiful."

The whispered greeting barely penetrated through the sleep-induced haze surrounding Rita. Too lethargic to respond, she snuggled closer to the warmth. She was cocooned in the gentle heat of the down comforter above her and her partner's warm, solid body below.

She felt a hand tracing lazy patterns over her hips. Around and around it went dipping lower and lower toward her stomach. A delicious warmth was spreading through her as she slowly drifted toward wakefulness.

Without conscious thought, she kissed the chest that her head was so comfortably resting upon and felt the responding groan reverberate against her cheek. Keeping her eyes closed, one of her hands trailed over the firm masculine hip beneath her. If this was a dream, she refused to wake up.

Chris smiled as he watched her struggle to stay asleep. Rita's head was on his chest and his arm kept her body securely against his. He gently placed a kiss in her hair. So much had happened in the past twelve hours. Last night had been amazing. It was like nothing he had ever experienced. Surprisingly, he wasn't feeling the fear or panic he had been worried would appear. Instead, he was seriously contemplating a level of commitment to Rita that would have shocked just about everyone who knew him. The two of them had taken a giant step last night and there was no going back.

Rita opened her eyes at that moment to look directly into his. "I was afraid this was a dream," she murmured with a sleepy smile.

Chris gazed lovingly at her as she closed her eyes again and wiggled around, trying to find a comfortable position on top of him. His groan turned into a chuckle as he watched her doze off once more. He ran a hand through her sleep tousled hair. The chestnut waves were splayed across his chest, more beautiful than any fantasy he could have dreamed up. They had been lost in their own private sea of sexual and emotional need last night; aware of only each other. They had made love several times, never seeming to get their fill.

He smiled thinking back on their midnight trip to the kitchen.

Before physical hunger had driven them in search of dinner, they had been laying back in bed, exhausted but happy. He had laughed aloud when Rita's stomach started to growl.

"You're insatiable," he teased.

She took sweet revenge for the comment, rising up to claim his lips as he moved over her. It was a warm, demanding kiss and they were quickly lost in it all over again until he forced himself to pull back. He smiled at her heavy-lidded expression.

"Come on, Sam, let's get you fed. I don't want you tiring out on me."

"Excuses, excuses. If you're not up to it, Chris, it's no problem," she teased him right back, trailing her foot up one of his legs.

Chris propped himself up on an elbow and stared down at her with a mixture of desire and surprise. Rita returned his gaze with a challenging look and he was once again reminded that she would always be an equal partner in life and in love. A low growl started deep in the back of his throat. He recaptured her lips, nibbled on her neck and nipped at her ear, tickling her in that sensitive spot he had discovered right behind her earlobe.

"Okay, okay, Chris!" she cried, unable to stop laughing. She escaped, rolling away from him, setting her feet on the floor. Chris stayed where he was and enjoyed the view as she started searching around the bed.

"What are you looking for, Sam?" he queried innocently, hoping she wouldn't find whatever it was too quick.

Concentrating too hard to be self-conscious, Rita kept looking. "Where did my clothes go?" she asked, distractedly. She wandered around the room, searching the floor and the lone bedroom chair. They were nowhere in sight. She turned back to Chris and threw him an inquiring look.

He was sitting up against the headboard, his hands behind his head, unabashedly offering her a good view of his highly aroused body. His mouth curved into an unmistakably sensual smile as he noticed her eyes wandering over him. He answered her with unexpected gentleness, "I seem to recall a few articles of clothing being tossed downstairs at some point last night."

Surprised at his answer, Rita glanced back at his face and a blush warmed her cheeks. Chris met her gaze with a knowing look and a twinkle in his eye. He was enjoying this way too much.

Embarrassed, she turned and headed for his closet. Pulling out one of his dress shirts, she slipped into it and quickly buttoned up. The shirt hung to just above her knees and she turned to see Chris pouting in her direction. She held out a hand to him and watched as he jumped out of bed and grabbed his sweatpants. He pulled them on before weaving his fingers into hers and pulling her into an embrace.

"I love you, Rita," he whispered as he held her close.

Rita buried her face against his neck. "I love you, Chris."

His heart swelled with the love and longing he felt for this special woman. He knew she took pride in her self-sufficiency, but there was a need building deep within him to hold her tight and shelter her from the outside world. A wave of fierce protectiveness washed over him and he tightened his arms. He could feel her heart beating against his chest through the thin material of the pale blue shirt she wore.

Every time they came into contact with each other, their hands would begin to roam, skimming over bare skin, rediscovering every square inch of each other as if it were for the very first time. And the first time had been something Chris would never forget. Ever. He froze and removed his lips from hers when he heard her stomach growl again.

"Let's go downstairs and get something to eat," he said as he pulled back.

"I'm starving," she admitted.

But he wasn't quite sure what she was starving for because her hands hadn't stopped their exploration. It took every ounce of his remaining self-control to capture them and pull her toward the stairway.

As they descended, they stopped for quick, hungry kisses every few steps until they eventually made it to the bar stools. The desire was still simmering.

"Exactly how hungry are you, Rita?" he asked, only half teasing.

They were sitting so close to each other; she was practically in his lap.

"Down, boy," Rita reprimanded with a laugh as she surveyed the dinner that had been abandoned in their original rush to go upstairs. "I need to refuel." She took one bite of cold chow mien and grimaced. "If I wasn't starving, Sam, I'd insist we go out to eat, even at this late hour."

Chris reached for her, gliding a hand over the bare leg nearest to him. Rita shifted on her stool as that same hand traveled down her thigh and around to the back of her knee. That was another sensitive spot his lips and hands had discovered earlier in the evening.

"Come here," he murmured huskily. He leaned toward her. One hand kept hold of her leg as the other reached up to entice her mouth closer to his. "I think I have something that you'll like even better than cold chow mien," he offered. His fingers trailed down her neck to the top button of her shirt.

Her green eyes had darkened with deepening desire as he brushed his lips across hers.

"Stay right there, Sam." He left her reluctantly, moving to the refrigerator, "I have something special in here for you."

He felt her watching him as reached into the depths of his navy-blue fridge. Her eyes widened with pleasure when he turned around with a bowl of fresh strawberries in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.

"Chris, that's perfect."

Rita signed with anticipation and her happiness deepened his own. The impromptu stop at the local market on his way home from work had been worth the effort. He handed her two champagne glasses from the cupboard, before uncorking the bottle and filling their glasses.

As he sat back down on the stool next to Rita's, he raised a glass and she followed suit. Their eyes met in wordless communication. Chris broke the silence first. "To the rest of our lives - together." He held her gaze, unable to look away, hoping she understood that his words were a promise.

"Chris." His name passed over her lips as if it were a sacred oath. "To my best friend - my partner." Her eyes were brimming with the intense emotions that filled her heart. She lovingly placed a hand on the side of his face. Her thumb grazed over his lips. "You have always owned a piece of my heart."

Time seemed to stand still for him at that moment, but in truth, it was probably only a split second later when she leaned forward for a quick, hungry kiss, her open palm moving from his face to rest on his chest.

Wrapped in each other's arms, they sipped champagne and feasted on the strawberries until the desire to be even closer sent them to the couch.

Sometime during the early morning hours, they had returned to the comfort of the loft and finally slept, exhausted.

The alarm had awakened Chris at 6:00 a.m.

So now, as much as he hated to admit it, they had to get up. He used both hands to gently massage Rita's back, trying to coax her awake. The feel of her soft, bare skin had the blood racing through his veins again. This was every fantasy come true.

Eventually, Rita lifted her head and propped her chin up on arms that were folded across his chest. "What time is it, Sam?" Her eyes were only half-opened.

Chris gently brushed the hair back from her face and leaned toward her to place a kiss on her forehead. "Time to get up, sleepyhead." He smiled at the tired acceptance that crossed her face.

He could happily stare at her all morning, but then they would never make it into work. Especially if she continued lying on top of him this way. Incredibly, he wanted her again. It must have shown in his eyes because he saw comprehension slowly dawn in hers. Of course, certain parts of his anatomy were throwing her big hints.

Rita reached out to place a finger on his chin. "You know we have to be at work by nine, Chris," she stated firmly and then yawned. She sounded a bit more awake when she added, "as much as I wish we could stay here all day, you know we can't."

"I know."

"I need to go by my apartment and change into fresh clothes."

"Yes, you do."

Her resolve appeared to be weakening as his hands started to roam, but then her expression turned thoughtful, and he stopped. Desire continued to hum sweetly through his veins, but he knew his best friend well enough to know when something had distracted her.

"Everything, okay?" he asked quietly, more wary than nervous.

"I was thinking about something Michael said to me on Monday."

Not that guy, again. He couldn't stop the eye roll, but luckily, Rita had turned away from him, her cheek now resting on her hands so she didn't notice. He continued to wait, not wanting his dislike of their co-worker to dampen the mood.

"Actually, there were two things he said."

A sigh escaped before Chris could prevent it.

"We were driving back from our last interview and we started talking about family."

"Family?" It was all he could do to stop himself from asking why.

"Yes. Just casual talk about our backgrounds. He comes from a big family; lots of brothers and sisters."

Figured.

"I told him about mine and that now I'm alone."

His arms unconsciously tightened around her. "You aren't alone."

Her chin was propped up on her hands again so she could make eye contact. "When I thought you were moving to Boston…"

"I was never moving to Boston."

"Nevertheless, when I thought you might be moving, it was a harsh reminder of what it felt like to be alone. Completely alone. Not for a day or a week, but maybe for the rest of my life. I hadn't felt that way since before we became partners."

"Rita…"

"At the Denton scene yesterday, you said you were tired of being alone, but do you know what it feels like to be really alone?"

"You know my family history; you shouldn't have to ask."

"You had your grandmother."

"Grandma Rose. Yes." There was something deeper going on here that he couldn't quite grasp. "You have a job you love. You're surrounded by friends and co-workers who care about you."

'It's not the same thing."

His eyes never left her face.

"Think about it, Chris."

Rita was looking at him with such intensity, he knew whatever was troubling her was vitally important to her happiness.

Suddenly, he understood.

Everyone else she had loved in her life was gone now; either dead, having disappeared, or having failed her. How close had he come to doing the same thing? Even if he knew deep down that he would never have moved to Boston, he hadn't told her as much. He hadn't reassured her that she was far too important for him to ever consider such a move.

He knew without a doubt that her personal integrity and hard-won core of inner strength had prevented her from asking him to stay. She had allowed him to choose, to decide for himself what he wanted for his life without any attempts on her part to influence the outcome. And she would have lived with his decision had he decided to leave. She would have survived because that was what Rita Lee Lance always did.

That scared him because he could no longer imagine an existence without her. Love, real love, wasn't easy. It was a commitment to care more about another human being than you cared about yourself. It was life-altering and soul-satisfying. Rita had always been his other half. He knew that now. And while he couldn't fix past heartbreak, he could promise her a future with someone who would commit to being right there by her side. Whatever hardship they faced; they would face it together.

"One," he stated simply, placing a finger against the soft lips that he had come to know so intimately the night before.

"One what?"

"You have one person who has been by your side for almost six years now and that person has no intention of leaving you alone. Ever." Her smile as she digested his words sealed their bond.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I'm not. We have loved each other the entire time, haven't we?"

"Yes."

"Is it that far of a leap to being truly 'in' love?"

"Such a romantic streak."

"I'm not joking," he assured her, his expression serious. "I love you, Rita. There is no turning back from this. Whatever happens at work, I'm not letting you go."

"You're my one," she stated so matter-of-factly, he knew she understood.

"I'm all yours."

The kiss they shared was a confirmation of souls, less urgent, deeply passionate.

Several minutes later as they lay together, Chris found himself asking, "What was the second thing Michael said?"

She was reluctant to move, snuggled against his cheek, and he felt her smile.

"That best friends make the best lovers."

"He actually said that?"

"Yes."

"I always liked that guy."

"Seriously?" She had to laugh. "You're okay with me passing that on the next time I see him?"

"Absolutely."

Rita rolled her eyes, catching sight of the bedside clock as she did so.

"Can I talk you into joining me in the shower?" Her fingertips pressed against the softness of his lips. She was fascinated by his mouth.

"Nope," he answered back quickly, pretending to be hurt by her talk of deserting their comfortable embrace.

"Not even a quick rinse, just to wake you up?" she teased, as she threw off the comforter and jumped out of bed. She stretched, running her hands through her hair and throwing him a sultry, well-loved look.

Chris raised an eyebrow at her antics before giving in just a little. "Well, maybe," he said as if giving the matter great thought.

"I'll scrub your back first," she called out over her shoulder before disappearing through the bathroom doorway. "It's the best offer you'll get this morning, Sam."

That sounded pretty final.

"Okay," he agreed quickly in a voice loud enough to be heard over the sound of running water.

Chris was out of bed in a flash, done playing hard to get and anxious to start the new day.

Anxious to start this new chapter of their lives... together.

**END Of**

**Story 3: Destinations of the Heart**

_The final story in the Alternative Timeline Series is_

Story 4: Testament of Faith

(My version of the events that took place in

The Last Kiss Goodnight)


End file.
